


Sunken Deep

by eternitywrites



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Bloody Kisses, Cannibalism, Frottage, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Sibling Bonding, Sirens, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 19:42:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4112673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternitywrites/pseuds/eternitywrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are always going to be some snags when it comes to inter-species dating, especially when one is a cutthroat, up-and-coming pirate captain and the other is a vicious, man-eating siren. Still, Noiz and Aoba love each other, oftentimes past the point of rationality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunken Deep

**Author's Note:**

> Full disclosure: I'm blatantly cheating for Noiz Week Day 4 (which im only unofficially participating in rly), because this thing was originally written in May '14. But while I've written things that are arguably better on a technical level since then, this is still one of my personal favorites.
> 
> This AU isn't mine. It's dedicated to the lovely NoiAo private RP of http://rabbitinheadlights.tumblr.com/ and http://akasato.tumblr.com/ ! If you want more story deets you'll have to throw them an ask, as I can't answer any, myself. I was (still am) just totally enamored w/ their AU and had to write something for it. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy (all the terrible pirate lingo I shoved into this)!

There were no shrieks of agony whenever the sirens fed. That’s what Noiz hated the most. He would have vastly preferred terrified screaming to the sighs and groans of ecstasy of the men that willingly swam to their deaths. There was no pity in his heart for them. All he could think about was how little they deserved to be anywhere near Aoba, let alone act so brashly lewd toward him.

From his vantage point at the very edge of the prow of his ship, Noiz could just see Aoba’s hair shining under the moonlight, but everyone in town — or, rather, everyone that was left in town after his crew had gone through it — could hear him singing, his voice floating on the night wind like a gentle dream. Noiz’s heart stuttered in his chest. He felt he could easily pick out Aoba’s song from a score of serenading sirens. His singing voice could get surprisingly deep, and it was always soft and warm. Soft and warm when it was only the two of them tangled around each other in Noiz’s private quarters. Soft and warm even now as Aoba called food to him and his twin.

Noiz looked through his telescope. Aoba and Sei were swimming in lazy circles not too far from the shore, flicking their tails up so that their scales glinted above water. Sei, ever silent, wore the prettiest, most disarming of smiles. Aoba was making inviting “come hither” gestures with his hands, every now and then taking a break from his singing to laugh breathlessly and flick his long blue locks from his shoulders. Noiz took his time admiring Aoba’s dainty skin through the telescope, itching for it to be under his hands and mouth. He imagined making love to him on the deck as the town continued to burn in the background and his crew hauled in the riches from the raid. Not that Aoba would ever agree to going that far with him in such a public location. It was simply fun to think about.

Reluctantly, Noiz moved his scope from Aoba and over to the poor bastards chosen to become siren dinner. Eight in all so that the twins could split them evenly between each other. After his crew had released them into the water (their ears safely stopped up with wax), they had heard not even a second of Aoba’s song before they were swimming over to them as fast as their arms and legs could carry them through the sea. Noiz watched the one furthest ahead make a beeline for Aoba with narrowed eyes, the victim's lust all too apparent.

“Wait for me,” wailed the man, flailing in his haste. “Wait for me, my darling!”

“Hurry,” Noiz heard Aoba coo in reply, his words reverberating in the air. “I’m here, I’m waiting for you. Only you. Hurry to me, please.”

It was all just a part of Aoba’s act. Alluring words to better ensnare prey, empty of any real fondness. Still, Noiz contemplated putting a bullet through the man’s head before he could get to Aoba. He wasn’t that far away, and Noiz was an excellent shot.

“Captain?”

“What?” Noiz lowered the telescope and turned around. One of his navigators stood a respectful distance behind him, hands clamped over his ears.

“Just received word that all resistance in town has been annihilated. Anyone who ain’t already given us all their loot plus the shirt of their backs was offed right quick.”

“And the governor?”

“Well,” The navigator grinned, exposing yellow teeth, “from what I’ve been told the man proved to be a little too fond of his shirt to part with it for us. He ain’t a problem no more, that’s fer fuckin’ sure.”

“How many casualties on our end?”

“Not even half a dozen lost, sir.”

“Good.” It was nice to have a problem-free raid every now and then. “I want the best shit and all the gold in front of me in under an hour. Rest assured you’ll all be getting your dues before the night’s out. Split up the rest of the treasure amongst yourselves. No squabbling, and if I catch any of you hoarding more than what you deserve I’ll slice your throat wide open and toss your body overboard.”

“Aye, aye!”

Noiz waved a dismissive hand and turned back to the sea, telescope at the ready. What he saw through it had his upper teeth digging into his bottom lip. Aoba was reeling in his first meal of the night, cupping his cheek with a gentle hand, kissing up the man’s neck, his song low and lulling. The victim’s expression was one of wild passion. He clung to Aoba, tangling his filthy hands in Aoba’s long hair, trying to kiss him back. Another tally in the long stretch of men that had fallen for the hungry siren’s bewitching aura.

The same way Noiz had fallen for it.

Noiz gripped his telescope so hard he could feel it creaking beneath the pressure of his fist. Heat boiled low but insistent in his chest. Yes, he had become spellbound like all the rest. Even more so, if he thought about it. There were bound to be consequences for becoming so wrapped up in Aoba’s magic, but he didn’t care. What he had with Aoba was something far deeper than hunter and prey. None of these lust-stricken men had ever had the privilege to see Aoba’s pale skin go red with embarrassment. Nor had they ever heard Aoba laugh in true happiness or had him tell them that he loved them, his eyes lowered in shyness. Even the song he sang to them was different than the one he sang to Noiz. His song to Noiz was so much gentler. A song reserved for a mate and no one else.

Nothing and no one on the entire planet could convince Noiz that Aoba didn’t love him back with the same fervor Noiz loved him.

Eventually, Noiz was snapped out of his trance by a thick, coppery taste splashing over his tongue and a trickle of blood rolling down his chin. He pulled his teeth from his bottom lip with a deep breath, lowered his telescope, and waited in silence for his crew to report back with the spoils.

And off in the distance, beneath the steely glow of the moon, two sirens were tugging their victims under the gentle waves of a calm sea. The water around them soon blossomed with stains of crimson. Yet even that was not enough to deter the rest of the men who were still treading water nearby, aching to hold the beauties in their arms as they waited for their turn to die.

 

* * *

 

It took more than an hour for his crew to regroup and another thirty minutes after that of swapping, bartering, and arguing before everyone was satisfied with their cut of the treasure. Noiz bore his crew’s rowdiness with undisguised impatience, but he waited until everyone went off to gather the booze, the food, and the instruments for their traditional after-raid party before wrapping a few choice pieces of jewelry inside a long red and gold coat and slipping away to the docks.

His pulse quickened when he found Aoba waiting for him at the edge of the wooden platform, his head resting on his arms and his eyes closed. They opened wide at Noiz’s approach, and he hauled himself out of the water, his brilliantly blue siren tail now a human waist leading down to a pair of shapely legs.

“Noiz!” He ran up to him, nude and dripping with sea water.

“My, someone’s impatient for me.” Noiz smirked. “Is something wrong?”

Aoba circled around him, squinting in something like suspicion as he examined Noiz’s body. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I didn’t do much fighting tonight, Herzchen. Hardly left the ship.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Aoba took him by the wrist and lifted his arm up high, looking it over back to front before doing the same with his other arm. “There was too much yelling, too many loud bangs going off all over the place…I was afraid some other human might have boarded the ship and gone after you or you were hit by one of those fiery metal bits but you couldn’t feel it until it was too late and — ”

“Stop worrying, Aoba. I’m fine. I promise.” Noiz placed a hand on Aoba’s slender shoulder and kissed his forehead to stop him from giving him another once-over. The water had washed away any traces gore from his meal, leaving him smelling of the deep sea.  “Here, I brought you gifts. Lift your leg up for me?”

“Like this?” Aoba held his foot up, warm hazel eyes bright with curiosity.

“Yeah, just like that.” Noiz knelt down in front of him, placing Aoba’s coat carefully to the side and then removing a sapphire and diamond encrusted anklet from the treasure he had hidden in it.

“The governor of this fine town regrets he can’t personally meet the most gorgeous creature in the sea,” said Noiz quietly as he clasped the piece over Aoba’s ankle, “but he sends his regards, nonetheless.”

“Ah, it’s so  _glittery_ …” He heard Aoba exhale in delight.

“That’s not all.” Noiz extracted a shining gold and sapphire necklace from the coat and rose, running his fingers along the inside of Aoba’s thigh as he did so. “The governor’s wife has graciously donated her favorite necklace to you, though she laments that it pales in comparison to your beauty.”

“I’m sure she did. And you say I’m the charming one…” Aoba’s face had turned pink, but he smiled and let Noiz loop the necklace around his neck.

“Your coat, Herzchen?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Noiz took his time swirling the coat over Aoba’s shoulders and buttoning it up for him. He felt Aoba rumble as he did so, a contented purr that vibrated against Noiz’s fingers as he traced them up and down Aoba’s chest.

“Looking for more buttons to do up?” Aoba asked, his voice soft.

“Not really. It’s just been hours since I last touched you like this.” Noiz kept his tone even, but he could feel the desperation from earlier spilling over into his veins. He needed Aoba against him. At this point it no longer mattered if his sense of touch remained stunted for the rest of the night without Aoba’s song. He needed Aoba so badly he’d take whatever he received, no matter how little.

“Wait.” Aoba pressed his hand against Noiz’s lips just as he leaned in. Noiz raised his eyebrows, somewhat miffed at the interruption.

“Uh, I ate a lot. The inside of my mouth is still messy.” He looked away, face an even brighter red than before. “Maybe I should clean — ”

“I don’t care.” Noiz grabbed his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers. He wondered if Aoba’s skin was still that icy siren cold or if he had already warmed it up. “You know I don’t care. I want to kiss you. I always want to kiss you.”

Aoba’s brow furrowed. “That can’t be something most other humans are alright with. Your crewmen always looks so…queasy when they catch us kissing after I take my on-board meals.”

“I don’t care about what anyone else is alright with and how disgusted my men get. They’re not the ones about to slide their tongues past your lips.” Noiz squeezed his hand. “And really, I don’t particularly mind you smearing your food all over my face when you nuzzle me after you eat. It’s cute.”

“I think I’m beginning to understand the how gross you truly are in human terms.”

“What about in the eyes of sirens?”

“I can’t speak for all of us, but in the eyes of _this_ siren, you’re alright. Maybe the other land-walkers just need stronger stomachs.” Aoba’s laugh was bright and fond. He squeezed Noiz’s hand back, then cleared his throat and began to sing their song at him.

Noiz shuddered. All at once, he became so much more aware of everything. The night was warm but the breeze was cool and misty. His lip throbbed raw around the spot where he had bitten it and Aoba’s hand was hot and silky smooth in his.

“Aoba…” It was all he could say before he wrenched Aoba against him, devouring his mouth in a heated kiss that cut off Aoba’s singing, but the notes would linger in Noiz’s body for a long time after this. It was more than enough for him. He groaned low in the back of his throat. Aoba’s lips were so soft and damp.

Far too soon, Aoba pulled his head back with a sharp gasp. “You told me you weren’t hurt, you ass!”

“What?” It took everything he had to pull his mind out of the blissful fog it was in. He slid his hands through the strands of Aoba’s hair, cupping the back of his head, muscles straining in the effort required to keep himself from bringing Aoba close again.

“Your lip! I can taste the blood!”

“Oh, that. I forgot.”

“That’s nothing you should forget around me!”

Noiz was about to tell him to calm down, but then he noticed the steady stream of saliva dripping out of Aoba’s mouth, far more than what usually escaped during sex or kissing. He was panting, too, and his eyes were dark and wide.

“Herzchen, are you still hungry?” A reckless idea filled Noiz’s head. He worried at the cut on his lip with his tongue, aiming a hard stare at Aoba. 

“No! I…I was just taken by surprise.” He turned away, hastily wiping away his drool with the back of his hand. “But we really should wait until your cut heals up before we kiss like that again.”

“That’s going to take awhile and I’m not going to go without your kisses for that long.” Noiz cupped his chin, forcing their eyes to meet again. “It’s not a serious injury, Aoba. And you liked the taste, didn’t you?”

He could feel Aoba jolt against him. “Don’t ask me that!”

“You can have another taste, Aoba.” He leaned his head against Aoba’s, their lips just barely brushing. “As many as you want from me. Actually, I’d really like it if you did.”

“Oh, Noiz…” Aoba’s voice wavered. His hand came up and stroked the side of Noiz’s face. “You were listening to my hunting song again, weren’t you? I keep telling you not to do that! Even if I’m not directing it into your mind you still need to plug up your ears up like everyone else.”

“I won’t,” said Noiz with a frown. “I love listening to all the music you make. I love you, Aoba.”

“Stop being so stubborn!” Aoba gave a loud, inelegant sniff. “I love you, too.”

“Will you kiss me again?”

“I will. This time. You’re lucky I’m so full.” Aoba nuzzled his face against Noiz’s. “But after this I’m not putting my mouth anywhere near yours until that cut seals back up.”

Noiz would have argued the point, but Aoba took the opportunity to kiss him hard just before he opened his mouth. He returned the kiss instantly, eagerly, sliding his tongue against Aoba’s and tasting nothing but warmth and the sea.

Then it tasted of his own blood.

Noiz moaned, louder than before, breathing roughly through his nose as Aoba scraped his too-sharp teeth over the cut on his lip. Aoba was being very careful, not even biting down, but just a light touch was enough to split the injury wide open and send a rush of burning sparks through his system.

And for the briefest second, a tiny, yet terrifyingly true thought bloomed in his mind. If Aoba were to dig his teeth into him too deeply, if he lost control and began to rip and tear at Noiz’s face with starving abandon, Noiz would spend his last agonizing moments in complete joy. He would be giving all of himself over to Aoba that way, a final act of devotion to the love of his life.

The thought was gone as quickly as it had formed, and what filled Noiz’s mind next was how amazingly good he felt, how alive his body became whenever it pressed against Aoba’s.

“It hurts,” he groaned. “Aoba, it _hurts_. More, please.”

Aoba pulled his teeth back with a shuddering sigh and took Noiz’s bleeding lip against his own, sucking and flicking his tongue against it in cruel aggravation, calling up even more pain for Noiz.

More fire spread from the small wound, pouring down Noiz’s throat and into his very core where it blazed through everything inside him. Lost to sensation, Noiz grabbed Aoba’s backside with a furious growl and ground their hips together. He was already so hard, and he had to grin when Aoba writhed and gasped against him, just as affected. Determined to get an even better reaction, Noiz tightened his hold on Aoba’s rear and sped up his thrusting, frantic and demanding.

 _“Ah!”_  Aoba tossed his head back and shouted so loud it cracked through the sky. Noiz laughed wildly when Aoba, looking utterly mortified, slapped a hand over his blood-stained mouth.

“Don’t do that,” he whispered, gently prying at Aoba’s hand. “I love listening to those sounds of yours, too. They’re so sexy.”

“The whole crew probably heard me!”

“They’re all too sloshed to care. And it’s not like they haven’t heard us going at it before tonight.”

“Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” Aoba muttered. His blush went from his hairline all the way down to his neck. Noiz kissed his cheek and bent down, sliding an arm around the back of Aoba’s knees and scooping him up.

“Well, we could do with a little more privacy. How about we head back to my quarters…unless you’re fine with making love out here.”

“To your room,” said Aoba, circling his arms around Noiz’s shoulders. “Your bed is comfy.”

“I don’t know…” Noiz looked away, pretending to think it over. “That sand dune over there looks fairly out of the way.”

“We’re not nesting sea turtles, Noiz! Doesn’t a mattress and blankets sound way better than spending half the night trying to get sand off ourselves after we’re done?”

“You have a point.” He adjusted his grip on Aoba, but his cheer faltered when he caught an almost pained expression flickering across his face.

“Herzchen?”

“Sorry.” Aoba reached out and smoothed a thumb over Noiz’s brow, his lips quirking up in a tiny smile. “Just thinking. Take me to your quarters, Noiz. I need you.”

“…Of course.”

He strode down the docks and up the plank leading into his ship with Aoba secure in his embrace. He wouldn’t forget the face Aoba had made — he hardly forgot anything, after all — but for now, he thought it would be alright to tuck it into the back of his mind for later consideration. The raid had been a resounding success, his crew was happy, and Aoba was in his arms and kissing what he could reach of Noiz’s face with lips that still smelled rich with blood. Right now, the time called for celebration.

 

* * *

 

It was well into the early morning hours before Aoba was willing to unwind himself from the safety of Noiz’s warm body. It wasn’t only his extreme reluctance to part from him that kept him by Noiz’s side, though. Slipping away without alerting him had been quite a feat to pull off. Aoba actually rather admired that about Noiz. His mate had sharp instincts.

Still, he couldn’t stand the pressure of anxiety crushing his chest anymore. Having Noiz inside of him had made him forget it completely for a couple of blissful hours, and the feeling of Noiz curled comfortably around him as he slept was enough for Aoba to stay for a while longer until it had built back up to an excruciating level.

Sei. Sei would know what to do. Or, at the very least, Sei would allow him to unburden himself. Aoba had to see his twin. The very thought of speaking to Noiz made him go frigid with terror. Aoba could see the scene play out in his mind’s eye with perfect clarity. He would probably weep at some point while he spilled his fears at his mate’s feet. And Noiz, with all his quick intelligence and unfaltering decisiveness, would immediately understand the gravity of the situation once he heard it. He would stroke Aoba’s back, kiss him, perhaps hum their song at him the best he can before giving one of his little half smiles.

_“It’s fine, Aoba. I don’t mind.”_

Aoba pressed his sleeve to his mouth as he tip-toed up the stairs leading out to the deck, choking back a tiny chitter of dread. Noiz might as well have whispered that in his ear, he could hear it so well.

The cool sea breeze sweeping up to meet him helped untangle the slippery knots in his stomach. He took a deep lungful of air still tinged with the smoke of a ransacked town put to the torch. It was quiet. The party had long since ended, and the crew were sleeping off their fun wherever they happened to pass out at the time. Aoba stepped over an empty rum bottle, sneaked past the sailor snoring near the ship’s wheel, and was just about to discard his coat when someone spoke up behind him.

“Off on yer early mornin’ stroll, Prinzessin?”

Caught.

Aoba turned around, undoing his coat buttons as casually as he could. The man before him went by the name of Sigi, one of the few older crew members aboard ship; tall, thickly built, and heavily bearded. He also wore funny round things of glass over his eyes, an accessory Aoba had always meant to ask about. They didn’t look nearly pretty enough to be jewelry. He was a little too preoccupied to bring it up now, however.

“Something like that,” said Aoba with care.

“Yer gonna hafta divulge the specifics afore I let’cha go.”

Aoba narrowed his eyes. “As far as I know I can come and go as I please.”

“Maybe so, but judging by the way you was skulkin’ through the deck like some second-rate thief I’m thinkin’ you forgot to let the captain know of yer future whereabouts.”

“I’ll be back before he wakes up,” said Aoba, a bit more confidently than he actually felt.

“Oh, aye? And if he’s roused without his sweetheart at his side and no one around knows where you went?” Sigi folded his arms over his barrel chest. “Prinzessin, I’m on night watch. I skipped out on a whole lot of good grog to do me job right. The punishment fer failure of duty ain’t worth turnin’ a blind eye to yer comin’s and goin’s.”

Aoba blew at his bangs. He couldn’t say Sigi was exaggerating. Noiz was a fair captain, but his reprimands were swift and often cruel. “I’m going to meet my twin by the cliffs over there. That’s all. Really. It’s nothing to bother Noiz about unless he wakes up and asks.”

Sigi looked skeptical. “The captain likes his round-the-clock reports. Don’t matter if he be asleep or not.”

“And I would like it if he got a decent night’s rest for once. Tell him I said that if he complains.” Nerves prickly with agitation, Aoba shrugged out of his coat and removed his anklet, dumping them on the floor before taking a seat on the thin wooden railing. “Make sure no one touches my things.”

“There ain’t nobody aboard stupid enough to do that. Noiz would gut the fool through afore he’d be able to get two words across.” Sigi held his gaze politely at a point just over Aoba’s shoulder. “Yer puttin’ me in a hard spot, lad. If you had a drop of pity in yer fishy little heart for me you’d come back in the next hour. Should fortune decide to favor us the captain’ll still be asleep and we’ll be able to avoid an incident.”

“That’s the plan. Look, if it all goes wrong I’ll speak to Noiz in your defense.” Aoba pouted at him. “And my heart isn’t  _fishy,_  thank you very much.”

Sigi cracked a grin. “I dunno ‘bout that, them scales of yers be sayin’ otherwise right now.”

Aoba clicked his tongue and gripped the rail for balance before leaning back and flipping his tail at him. Then, feeling irritated at having been detained for so long, retorted in nothing but a series of high-pitched chirps.

“And what is that supposed to be meanin’?”

“Hm.” Aoba rubbed his chin in mock consideration. “I guess, roughly translated, it means something along the lines of…you can go ahead and kiss my tail fins.”

Then, without further ado, he let go of the rail and plummeted into the sea.

“Real cute of you, Prinzessin,” he heard as he fell. It made him smile.

The cool embrace of water met him next. No matter how much he loved staying on land with Noiz and his steadily growing fondness of the ship and the rest of its crewmen, diving into the sea was like coming home after a long, weary journey every time he did it. His head felt clearer, brighter; his senses honed to their finest points. He shot down into the depths, familiarizing his body with the dark pressure, and then swam toward the direction of the rocky outcropping near the cliffs in the distance, clicking his twin’s name all the while.

“I’m coming!”

He sensed Sei a good distance off, heading in his direction at a leisurely speed. Aoba couldn’t wait. Powerful, sinuous strokes had him cutting through the water with ease, and soon his older twin came into view. The last of the night’s moonlight shimmered through the water, illuminating Sei’s pallid complexion and glossy black hair. Out of long-born habit, Aoba did a quick examination of his twin’s physique. Sei was always going to be thin and willowy — all elegant angles to Aoba’s more pronounced curves — but gone were the days of near-emaciation. Sei was healthy and energetic, and Aoba thanked the stars every day for that.

“Welcome back,” said Sei, extending a hand to pull Aoba up to his level. “It’s good to see you again so soon!”

“Yeah. Sorry if I woke you up, but — ” Hesitation held him still. Had he been overreacting? Maybe that vacant-eyed, mindless delirium on Noiz’s face had been a mere trick of the light. An invasive memory of all the food he had enchanted to their demise superimposing itself upon Noiz.

But then there had been that kiss…

“Aoba?”

Sei squeezed his hand. As always, Aoba felt as though his twin could see straight into his troubled heart with those soft, dark eyes.

“ — first I have a present for you,” said Aoba quickly. He would tell Sei, but he didn’t want to forget his gift. “As soon as I saw it I knew you’d like it.”

“Wow!” Sei gasped when Aoba revealed what he had held on to ever since leaving Noiz’s quarters. It was a black, fine-toothed comb decorated with an inlay of small pearls and delicate paintings of white lilies. “Oh, it’s so beautiful! And all those pearls are real, too…thank you, Aoba!”

“Noiz said that humans run it through their hair to untangle it.”

“Really? How clever.” With a happy smile, Sei tugged on Aoba’s hand. “Come on, little brother. Let’s go swimming for awhile.”

 _No pressure. Take your time. I’ll listen whenever you’re ready._  Sei said all of that with a mere glance at Aoba before gently pulling him through the sea. Aoba followed along with a wobbly smile of his own. He couldn’t imagine a better sibling in the world than Sei.

The two of them swam together under the steadily lightening sky in a comfortable silence for a long while. Aoba, trying to work off some of his nervous energy, kept himself moving this way and that. He looped around his twin, swam ahead, circled back, sometimes breaking through the surface of the water as high as he was able to go before diving back down. Sei, on the other hand, barely moved at all, keeping to a lazy backstroke at the surface, shining obsidian tail slapping the water in a slow, thoughtful manner.

Eventually, Aoba reached the point where he felt he’d burst if he didn’t say something. He swam back to his twin’s side, his insides churning in restlessness.

“I’m frightened,” Aoba whispered.

Sei’s eyes reflected the fading stars above them. “About Noiz?”

Misery welled up inside of Aoba. “I…I think I’m breaking him, Sei. I really do. He listens to my hunting songs, did you know that? He’s such an idiot. I’ve told him a million times to cover his ears while we’re eating but he never does. Then he has the nerve to say that he loves hearing my voice no matter what I’m singing and I get so happy but it’s not right. It’s not right, Sei. I shouldn’t be happy. Not when I can feel his mind cracking sometimes. I don’t know what to do.”

“Did something happen tonight?” Sei kept his voice soft.

Aoba had sunken so low only his eyes were above water. “We were kissing on the docks and I tasted blood on his lip. He must have bitten himself earlier or something. I wanted to pull away to keep him safe — just in case, you know? — but he wanted to keep kissing me. He said that he knew I thought he tasted good. He even asked me if I was still hungry.” Tears began to slide down the corners of his eyes. He shuddered. “And for a second I knew he would have wanted nothing more than for me to devour him right then and there. Oh, god, Sei, his face was like the face of every other person we’d eaten tonight and it’s my fault. I should keep myself a thousand leagues away but I stay with him almost every night. I’m a monster.”

“You’re using that word in the human way, aren’t you, Aoba?”

Aoba’s entire head was submerged, now, hair fanned out around him as he cried into the sea. Sei’s thin arms soon slipped around his shoulders. Aoba nudged his head against his twin’s spindly chest.

“And — and I can’t tell Noiz. I can’t tell him any of this. He’s so smart. I bet he’s already figured it out. He knows staying with me will drive him mad one day and he’ll tell me that he doesn’t care. That it’s alright. That it’s worth it. I don’t want to hear him say stuff like that.”

“Hey, Aoba.”

He looked up, and suddenly Sei dropped down to his height. “Do you want to leave?”

“Leave?” Aoba repeated the sound like he had never heard it before.

“Yes.” Sei’s smile was small and sad. “Just the two of us again, struggling through the sea the way we did when we were children. It wouldn’t be difficult to hide from Noiz. We’re only two small sirens, and we can go to places where no humans and their ships can ever hope to reach us.”

Aoba glanced behind him. Noiz’s ship towered above the waves in the distance. “I — leaving…? I mean, a siren can’t just leave their mate, can they? But if we did that…I’m a better hunter than I was in the past. We wouldn’t go hungry as badly as we used to. I’m stronger now, too. I’d be able to defend you easier.”

“That’s true. We’d make it work. Would that make you happy? Leaving to protect Noiz?”

“I — I just…” Aoba kept looking over his shoulder. Without realizing it, he had Sei’s bony fingers gripped tight in his hand. “Sei, Noiz is my mate.”

“And that’s about the fifth time you looked back at the ship. Staying with him makes you happier, right?”

Aoba nodded. “I love him. When I think about how he swam out on his little rowboat to meet me in the beginning, all cocky and bold, I feel so glad that he did that.”

“Then I think you should stay.” Sei threw his arms around Aoba’s shoulders this this time, squeezing him tight. “Ultimately, it’s up to you whether being with Noiz is right or wrong, but in my opinion you’re the furthest thing from a monster. Do you sing at him with malice?”

"No! Never. I want him to feel things. He’s always so exited when the sensation comes back to his body. It’s so sweet. I want to do everything I can to help him with that.”

“Stay with him, Aoba. Help him like you want. Love him as gently as a siren is capable of loving a human. Maybe one day, when you’re ready, you should tell him what you told me.”

“O-one day.” Aoba took a deep, wavering breath. “When I’m not such a coward, hopefully.”

Sei pulled away and sighed. “You’re not a coward. You’re not alone, either. No matter what you decide in the end, remember that I’m with you all the way. Okay?”

Aoba could feel the tears coming back on. “Thank you, Sei. Thank you so much. I still need to think about a lot of things, but…I’m going return to Noiz for now.”

“You’re welcome.” His twin’s gentle, fond expression soothed some of Aoba’s fears. “Go ahead and go back to him. I’ll be here if you need me.”

They parted after a final embrace. Sei swam at his usual languid pace back to the rocky outcropping under the cliffs. Aoba turned around and headed to the ship. He no longer felt choked with anxiousness, but his mind was heavy. Above all else, he wanted to cuddle into Noiz’s side and sleep.

 

* * *

 

Noiz sat in bed, rubbing fingers against his eye and feeling very, very irritated at having woken up alone.

“How long ago was this?” he asked.

“Aoba left a little over an hour ago, Captain.” Sigi stood in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back. “Said he was goin’ to chat up his twin by the cliffs. Actin’ right shifty he was, though. Woulda rather you not known ‘bout his trip.”

“That so…” Noiz’s gaze slid away, tiny pinpricks of apprehension nipping into his skin. “Well, that’s none of your concern. Anything else to report?”

Nothing. Noiz’s gaze snapped back to Sigi. “What’s with that stupid look on your face? Didn’t you hear me?”

Sigi snapped to attention at once, closing his mouth with a click. “Sorry, sir! I was just expectin’ you to blow a gasket, is all.”

Noiz gave him a thin, dangerous smile. “Do you think I would have lasted even two nights as captain if I lost my temper as easily as you apparently think I do?”

“My apologies, I meant no disrespect.” Sigi cleared his throat. “The night was mostly quiet, Captain. Wulf tried to knick a few spare coins off’a Pascal right afore the celebration wound down, sayin’ that he owed him some cash, anyway. They went at it for a bit. Wulf did a number on Pascal’s hand for his trouble. Might be broken, what with the way Pascal was hollerin’ over it. ”

“Take a third of each of their pay from last night,” said Noiz at once. He could already feel a headache coming on. “And tell Wulf he can do double the work today for costing me a sailor. Make sure Pascal gets medical attention. Let him know if he tries that bullshit again we’ll leave him stranded at the next port. For now, he’s on rabbit duty until he’s of better use to me. Their room better be spotless and their bedding fresh when I inspect it this afternoon.”

“Anything else, sir?”

“Wake everyone up. I want us ready to set sail before noontime. Anyone who even breathes about a hangover gets booted into the sea. Lethally, if I come out on deck and find people still asleep. You’re dismissed.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

Noiz waited until Sigi closed the door before flopping heavily back into bed. He was no longer very tired, and the bed had lost its comforts, anyway. Neither hot nor cold, soft nor coarse. Just a pile of sheets that sometimes felt suffocating while he tried to sleep.

He threw an arm over his eyes. Report was received, crew shenanigans were dealt with, and judging by the increase of footsteps above him sailing preparations were already underway. He needed to get dressed and see his navigators. It would be a quick meeting, just to double check their next course…

Noiz grumbled and rolled to his side. A bit of sulking for Aoba’s return couldn’t hurt. He’d give himself fifteen minutes of it before forcing himself out of bed. At least he wasn’t blowing a gasket, as Sigi so bluntly put it.

But he was worried.

Aoba’s scent in his sheets was stronger nearer to the wall. He inhaled deeply, letting it calm him, trying to sort out his thoughts piece by piece. Regardless of whether or not it was the issue that was plaguing his love’s mind, he planned on apologizing for that bloody kiss they had shared on the docks. Exposing a wound, no matter how small, to a siren was practically setting out a meal for them, and up until then Aoba had always taken great pains to hold back when they touched. Noiz received the gentlest indentation of teeth for love bites and only the occasional scratch of nails into his back and shoulders even when he asked for something rougher. Yes, he had definitely pushed too far. And maybe that was all that was bothering Aoba.

But if it wasn’t…

Noiz blew out a weary curse. Honestly, he had no idea what to do besides play the situation by ear. He’d figure out a solution one way or another. That was what he was good at. Even if it was their different species that prevented Aoba from confiding in Noiz, he’d find a way to help.

Seconds dripped sluggishly into minutes, until most of his allotted time had finally passed and Noiz was busy adjusting his cravat in front of the square, cracked piece of mirror he had hung up on the wall when he heard a knock at his door.

“Noiz? It’s me.”

Noiz leapt into action; letting Aoba in and pulling him into his arms before shutting the door at an impressive speed.

“Good morning.” Aoba was equally quick to bury his head in the crook of Noiz’s neck, chest pressed tight against Noiz’s. “Sigi’s not in trouble, is he? I asked him to put off telling you I left for as long as he could.”

“Good morning, Aoba. I didn’t punish Sigi. He’s fine.” Noiz tilted Aoba’s chin up. His eyes were red and puffy. And every time he breathed smoke poured out of his mouth and nose. He must have been icy cold to the touch. “But are you?”

Aoba looked away. “Yeah, Sei and I were just…talking. I was a little overwhelmed. I’m fine, now.”

Noiz brushed his thumb under Aoba’s eye. Aoba chirped and rubbed his cheek against Noiz’s palm. He looked so worn out.

“Let’s get you back in bed.”

Hand in hand, Noiz led him to the mattress. Aoba wobbled on his feet. Whenever his coat shifted Noiz caught sight of a smattering of blue scales over his knees and thighs. His fluttering, gossamer secondary fins hadn’t even disappeared. Aoba followed the direction of Noiz’s gaze and gave a bashful little laugh.

“It might be better if I slept in the tub instead of the bed. You’ll end up with a bunch of scales all over your sheets.”

“The sheets aren't worth worrying about.” Noiz sat down first and patted his leg. With a smile, Aoba crawled into bed after him, laying his head on Noiz’s knee. “Did you know that your legs sometimes turn back into your tail while you’re sleeping with me?”

“Do they?” He felt Aoba’s chest rise and fall against his thigh. His tone was hoarse and quiet. It wouldn’t be long until he fell asleep.

“Yeah, and it twists around my legs like a giant blue snake. It’s cute.”

Aoba snorted. “Again with that...You think the weirdest things are cute.”

Noiz began playing with Aoba’s hair. He smoothed it down, tucked it behind Aoba’s webbed ear, let it run through his fingers. “I’m sorry for frightening you with that kiss last night.”

Aoba looked up at him for a long while in complete silence. Then he let his head fall back onto Noiz’s leg, hair shifting over his eyes. His hand came up and clutched at Noiz’s pant leg as he burrowed as close as he could to him.

Noiz’s fingers stilled. “Aoba?”

“You ass.” He was surprised to hear Aoba’s voice break. “I forgive you, Noiz. Hey, since we’re like this, would you like me to sing for you?”

More questions burned down the tip of Noiz’s tongue, but he held them all back. Aoba was very clearly not ready to discuss what was upsetting him. Noiz was no longer sure he was ready to hear it, either. Not when Aoba sounded like that.

“If you sang to me, I’d never leave,” he said at last, voice low. “And I need to be on deck soon. How about I sing to you? Just until you fall asleep.”

Noiz barely caught Aoba’s whispered assent. When he did, he bent over until he could almost touch his forehead to Aoba’s temple and began to hum. It was quiet, simplified, and slightly out of tune — Noiz wasn’t the greatest at music even on the best of days, and Aoba’s song for them was as complex as it was beautiful — but he put all of his feeling into it.

“That’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.”

Noiz smiled and kept humming, stroking Aoba’s trembling shoulder. And if the tiny droplets that stained his pant leg were tears rather than the last of the seawater clinging to Aoba’s skin, he wasn’t going to say anything about it.

“Noiz, I — I want to stay with you.” Aoba’s fingers tightened into Noiz’s pants. “So badly. For as long as I possibly can.”

“Please.” A shiver of fear rolled down Noiz’s spine. Something unsettling lurked behind Aoba’s words, and they sounded not nearly as permanent as Noiz liked. “Stay, Aoba. Stay with me.”

Aoba tangled the fingers of his free hand around the ones Noiz still had on Aoba’s shoulder, gripping tight. Instead of throwing his siren power into their song, he began to hum it, too. Noiz joined back in, pausing every so often to press kisses to Aoba’s temple, and in that moment nothing else in the world existed to him. It was just the two of them on his bed, singing their love to one another in a way no one else would ever understand. 


End file.
